


One At A Time

by alafaye



Series: 2017 December works [81]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 21:39:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13199082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: Yule is a time of change, of deaths and beginnings. Their friendship is broken, but it can be repaired.





	One At A Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is day 29 of the newyearcntdown challenge and the prompt 'Yule'.

Merlin's breath frosted in front of him as he stared out at the lake, frozen over. His eyes darted wildly over the surface -- could his vision have been wrong? Just because the crystal had shown him ice, Arthur, and himself didn't mean ... No. There wasn't a chance that Arthur would come back now. There wasn't any peril; no kingdom to save. 

But there it was, a crack in the surface spreading outward like a spider web. Merlin threw off his coat and shoes; his trousers and sweater. He waited for the ice to fully crack before he tried to actually get into the lake. A hand pushed through several feet ahead of him and Merlin ran toward it. He knew that hand, intimately.

He took a deep breath and plunged under the surface to find Arthur. Oh, of course, he was still in his armor. Merlin whispered a feather-light spell he'd crafted and wrapped his arms tight under Arthur's. He pushed up and gasped when his wet skin met the cold air. Arthur shivered in his arms, lips blue. The swim back to the shore seemed to take too long, cold and water logged, but then he was finally standing on his own feet and pulling Arthur onto the shore.

He started a fire and began removing Arthur's armor and clothes. He was healed, but unconscious.

"Bloody Yule," Merlin whispered. "A new year for the sun and you've decided that now is a good time to be reborn. Honestly, your dramatics never cease to amaze me."

"S-shut up, Merlin," Arthur whispered. "'m sleeping."

Merlin jumped. "Arthur!"

Arthur groaned and tried to lift his arm, but only managed to lift it a few inches. "Merlin? What's going on?"

Merlin half laughed. He started to answer, but remembered that the words were in modern English. He closed his eyes for a moment, casting his memory back to find the old tongue. "A lot. There's a lot going on. Let's get you warmed up first, yeah?"

A quick spell protected them from being seen. Another dried Merlin's clothes. He ran a towel over them both to get them both dry and then he helped Arthur into clothes that were dry and less likely to stick out. 

"What fabric is this?" Arthur asked, running his hand over his shirt. "It's almost like cotton, but it's too soft."

"It's cotton," Merlin assured him. "I know it's nothing like hemp, but it works well enough. It'll keep you warm."

Arthur shook his head. He looked around for a moment before his eyes found Merlin's again. "What happened? I last remember... There was a battle and I was injured and you -- You have magic!"

Merlin swallowed and nodded. "Yeah."

Arthur's eyes closed. "I died. I remember that. I died." His eyes snapped open. "What did you do?"

Merlin held up his hands. "Nothing! I didn't do anything. I oversaw your pyre and left."

"So why am I here?"

"Because the old legends said you'd return when your kingdom needed you," Merlin explained. "But why now when I don't see a need and why on Yule... I don't know, Arthur. Hopefully we'll get answers soon, but I don't..." Merlin shook his head. "I don't know what's going on. I'm sorry."

Arthur sat up, wincing, and rolled his shoulders. "I don't know if I should trust you, but... I still do. I don't know that there's anything in the world that would make you loose my trust."

Merlin bit his lip. "Even though I--"

"Didn't tell me about your magic?" Arthur huffed. "I can honestly say that there is nothing you've ever advised me about that has done wrong or harm to my kingdom or myself. Our friendship is broken, yes, but you still have my trust."

Merlin ducked his head, overwhelmed. It wasn't what he was expecting to hear, but it was more than he thought he deserved. He opened the bag he'd brought with him so he could make food for them both. He offered Arthur water while the food heated up -- just beans, but it would be good for them.

"This water tastes weird," Arthur muttered.

Merlin took a deep breath. "A lot has changed. It's filtered. Purified. With chemicals."

Arthur studied the water with narrowed eyes. "Like Gaius' potions?"

"Something like that," Merlin said. He rubbed his eyes. There was so much... The task in front of them seemed suddenly overwhelming. New words and grammar; a new family on a throne that was not actually ruling England. New clothes and foods and ways of living. 

A hand settled on Merlin's neck. "Hey," Arthur whispered. 

Merlin looked up. Arthur smiled. "I have faith we can survive this. We've survived so much more. This isn't insurmountable."

A glint of light caught Merlin's eye. He turned and saw that the sun was just behind the tower that was in the middle of the lake. Merlin checked his watch. "It's the solstice. The sun's returned and brought us you."

Arthur nodded and pulled his knees up. He rested his arm over them and took another drink of water. "A new beginning for us. All is made clean on the solstice."

Merlin smiled, hearing something of a prophecy in the words they'd exchanged. This could be good, actually.

A truck drove by behind them and Arthur jumped, spilling water. "What was that?!"

Merlin laughed. One good thing at a time.


End file.
